U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,923 and corresponding German Utility Model No. 9,017,486 disclose a carrying apparatus for a ski binding that influences the bending characteristics of a ski. The front and rear retaining parts of the ski binding (i.e., the toe piece and the heel piece) are supported by the carrying apparatus. The carrying apparatus includes a front support member and a rear support member. An adjustable stop member is attached to the front support member. A longitudinally-extending slide member is attached at one end to the rear support member. The front end of the slide member is movable and is operatively engageable with the adjustable stop member. In this respect, the stop member is adjustable to select the size of the spacing between the stop member and the front end of the slide member. Accordingly, the size of the spacing can be selected such that the front end of the slide member is engageable with the stop member only when the front and rear ends of the ski are bent upwards to a great extent, relative to the center of the ski. Alternatively, the size of the spacing can be selected such that the front end of the slide member is engageable with the stop member when the front and rear ends of the ski are bent upward, only a small amount, relative to the center of the ski.
The front and rear retaining parts of the ski binding must be arranged at various distances from one another in order to accommodate different ski boot sizes. Since the front and rear retaining parts are respectively arranged above the front and rear support members of the carrying apparatus, the front and rear support members must also be arranged at various distances from one another. However, it is necessary to maintain the distance between the front end of the slide member, which is attached at one end to the rear support member, and the stop member, which is attached to the front support member. Accordingly, it is necessary to adjust the length of the slide member to maintain the distance between the front end of the slide member and the stop member. With prior art carrying apparatuses, it has not been possible to adjust the length of the slide member after the front and rear support members are mounted to the ski.
The procedure for mounting prior art carrying apparatuses to a ski is complicated. First, fastening holes for the front support member of the carrying apparatus are drilled on the ski by means of an installation and drilling tool. The front support member is then secured to the ski using fasteners. The front retaining part is then secured to the slide member, which in turn is attached by a screw to the rear support member. Thereafter, the front end of the slide member is slidably engaged with the front support member. The length of the slide member attached to the rear support member is then adjusted to accommodate the respective ski boot size. In this respect, the stop member is moved to an extreme position (i.e., the furthest rearward extending position) and the screw attaching the slide member to the rear support member is loosened to permit length of the slide member to be adjusted such that the front end of the slide member is brought to bear on the stop member. Fastening holes for the rear support member are then drilled on the ski, using the fastener-receiving holes on the rear support member (or on parts connected thereto and intended for receiving fastening screws) as a second hole gauge. Thereafter, the screw attaching the slide member to the rear support member is tightened. The rear retaining means is then secured to the rear support member.
The prior art carrying apparatus requires the use of two installation and drilling tools for mounting the carrying apparatus to a ski. Also, it was necessary to drill through the rear support member very carefully in order to make a precise position of the front and slide member relative to the stop member. Moreover, the length of the slide member must be adjusted before the rear support member is fastened to the ski. Furthermore, the screw attaching the slide member to the rear support member may loosen during skiing, thus impairing the binding performance. In this respect, the distance between the stop member and the front end of the slide member could inadvertently change.
The present invention overcomes these and other drawbacks of prior art devices.